I just love the Grid responses from our staff! Our teachers are so interesting. I've learned some wonderful things about them and I'm sure you've been surprised with some cool facts as well.
Our salute to the Related Arts team this week features Mrs. Chastain, Mrs. Conder, and Mr. Wells. Their answers had to be abbreviated to fit into the Grid boxes and in that abbreviation some of the fun was compromised. Here is a run down on their full responses:
What is your favorite sport?
Mrs. Chastain said she likes to play volleyball and she likes to watch hockey. How in the world did a southern Indiana resident get interested in hockey?
Who is your favorite superhero?
Mr. Wells said he likes Batman and he also said why. He likes Batman because he wears the coolest costume and gets to fight the best criminals. Mrs. Conder said Wonder Woman because she is a true patriot and always fights for her country!
What reality tv show would you be on?
Mrs. Chastain said she'd like to try Survivor. However, she fears for her children that may not 'survive' a full month in the care of their father! Mr. Wells likes Wipeout but also shared that he'd rather be 25 years younger if he had to compete in that show.
We have some very interesting teachers! They are creative. They have likes and dreams. They have families. They have histories. They are stories. We are so lucky that our teachers share themselves and their stories with us every day.
Thank you, SMS teachers. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
The Long and the Short of It
Let's recap.
Winter of 2013-2014:
Sixteen snow days. Seven late starts. One early dismissal.
The Indiana Department of Education waived two days for the polar vortex.
Two days were made up in 'snow make up days' in our calendar.
Five days were added to the end of the year.
Seven days were made up
one hour at a time.
Thursday, May 1st is our LAST day to run the extended hour schedule When the bell rings at 3:55 that day, we'll have finished our 42nd long day. Whew!
Congrats on completing this difficult schedule. Thanks to our teachers and staff for making all of the adjustments for instruction and assignments. Thanks to our cooks for the daily snacks. Thanks to our families for changing the nightly schedule to accommodate more school each day. Thanks to all of our students and staff for doing the work... eight hours every day.
We will dismiss school on Friday, May 2nd at 2:55 P.M.
I bet it will feel like a very short day!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
EPIC Adventure
Today is the first day of our EPIC pilot and I'm so excited I can't stand it. I'm feeling giddy because I can't wait to see how we do! I'm also excited because...
1) We'll have teachers assigning high quality practice designed to help students grow and learn.
2) We'll have an entire community of faculty and staff members connected together with a shared goal of helping students complete work.
3) We'll have an entire student body operating with the same academic expectations.
4) We'll have an entire student body experience accountability that will help throughout life!
Watch out Scott County! EPIC change is coming!
The EPIC program represents a big change for us. I think our gains will be worth the work. It will be wonderful for EVERYONE if we become an EPIC school, if we are a school where Every Practice Is Completed.
As we launch today, know that I'm proud that all of our teachers and staff are committed. I'm excited that all of our students will do all of our work. I'm looking forward to helping our school become EPIC!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Healthy Skeptics
Do you believe everything you read? Do you believe everything you see on the internet? Do you believe everything you hear? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need a refresher course on being a 'healthy skeptic.'
Edutopia published a great blog post last week called "Teaching Adolescents How to Evaluate the Quality of Online Information." You can check out the entire post HERE. It's an interesting read based on a survey of middle school students. In brief, students believed anything they found relevant to their search. If it sounded like it related to their research, they believed it to be true. They rarely took time to consider credibility or author perspective.
Adolescents aren't the only ones that that fail to critically evaluate information! I see that regularly on Facebook and other social media sites. About one week after the horrible disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, somebody I know shared a news story that the plane was found. The article included a floating plane picture where people were being rescued by small boats. The source of the story was something like "BuzzFeed." Hmmm...
What is wrong with this picture? If a serious bit of international news was reported, would "BuzzFeed" be the first to report it? Since the story was very fresh, I did some sleuthing and didn't find anything on CNN, NBCNews, or FoxNews. A quick check and I knew the post was a hoax. I was a healthy skeptic.
To help you be a healthy skeptic regarding things you read online, ask yourself the following questions from the Edutopia blog:
Edutopia published a great blog post last week called "Teaching Adolescents How to Evaluate the Quality of Online Information." You can check out the entire post HERE. It's an interesting read based on a survey of middle school students. In brief, students believed anything they found relevant to their search. If it sounded like it related to their research, they believed it to be true. They rarely took time to consider credibility or author perspective.
Adolescents aren't the only ones that that fail to critically evaluate information! I see that regularly on Facebook and other social media sites. About one week after the horrible disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, somebody I know shared a news story that the plane was found. The article included a floating plane picture where people were being rescued by small boats. The source of the story was something like "BuzzFeed." Hmmm...
What is wrong with this picture? If a serious bit of international news was reported, would "BuzzFeed" be the first to report it? Since the story was very fresh, I did some sleuthing and didn't find anything on CNN, NBCNews, or FoxNews. A quick check and I knew the post was a hoax. I was a healthy skeptic.
To help you be a healthy skeptic regarding things you read online, ask yourself the following questions from the Edutopia blog:
If you see something online, THINK before you believe and certainly before you hit the 'share' button!! Be a healthy skeptic!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Retreat Treat
I got to do the coolest thing last weekend.
I got to attend nine hours of extra meetings... on a weekend!
Before you think I'm kidding, let me explain!
The SCSD2 Administrative Team held a retreat. We met from 5:30-8:00 Friday night and 9:00-3:00 on Saturday at the Mid-America Science Park (MASP).
It was incredibly interesting! Our Superintendent Dr. Slaton and our Assistant Superintendent Dr. Watkins organized the event. We spent all that time discussing the future of our school district. We talked out our mission, our vision, and our values. We shared ideas and reached consensus about where we want to 'go' as a district.
The retreat was attended by Dr. Watkins, all principals, assistant principals, tech leaders and other central office staffers. Sadly, Dr. Slaton was not able to attend in person because he was in the hospital recovering from a procedure. He still participated, however, using Face Time on his phone and connecting to our shared Google Docs on his Macbook. It was awesome to have him join us and we took turns moving a phone around so Dr. Slaton could see us. Technology saved the day!
Besides being impressed with the ways that technology helped us, I was also extremely impressed with the quality work of my administrative colleagues and of the wonderful facility. The MASP is a first class place!
We will continue to 'polish' our ideas in the next few weeks. Be prepared to see a new message about SCSD2! We are excited about our students, our staff, our community, and our amazing opportunities for learners!
I got to attend nine hours of extra meetings... on a weekend!
Before you think I'm kidding, let me explain!
It was incredibly interesting! Our Superintendent Dr. Slaton and our Assistant Superintendent Dr. Watkins organized the event. We spent all that time discussing the future of our school district. We talked out our mission, our vision, and our values. We shared ideas and reached consensus about where we want to 'go' as a district.
Besides being impressed with the ways that technology helped us, I was also extremely impressed with the quality work of my administrative colleagues and of the wonderful facility. The MASP is a first class place!
We will continue to 'polish' our ideas in the next few weeks. Be prepared to see a new message about SCSD2! We are excited about our students, our staff, our community, and our amazing opportunities for learners!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
March Madness
Wow!
What a weekend!
To the Cards Fans- I feel your pain. After a handling the Cats for nearly the entire game, Russdiculous and company let Kentucky take over at the end. Very sad and disappointing. But we've got to remember that the Cards have been on a wonderful three-year run. A Final Four in 2012, a championship in 2013, and a Sweet Sixteen in 2014... not too shabby!
To the Cats Fans- Good luck in Dallas. After dropping ten games during the season, your group of fabulous freshmen have really gotten their act together in the post-season. Your big win over the Cards was followed up by another solid performance against Michigan. The Final Four should be very entertaining. Good luck to Cat Nation.
To the folks that aren't basketball fans- Who cares about the madness? I hear you, too. If basketball is not your deal, there is still something to learn from March Madness.
To survive and advance in the tournament, teams have to work hard and play well together.
We've had our own "March Madness" this year with the extended schedule. As we finish the month today (we've survived and advanced), let's work hard and play well together. Bring your A game today. Help your teammates/classmates to do their best as well.
Congrats on finishing our own March Madness. Good luck in the next tournament. April Madness. Yes, we've got one more month of extended days. Survive and advance. Survive and advance.
And to the Lady Cards Fans- Good luck in the Elite Eight on Tuesday! Go Cards. Take down the Terrapins!
What a weekend!
To the Cards Fans- I feel your pain. After a handling the Cats for nearly the entire game, Russdiculous and company let Kentucky take over at the end. Very sad and disappointing. But we've got to remember that the Cards have been on a wonderful three-year run. A Final Four in 2012, a championship in 2013, and a Sweet Sixteen in 2014... not too shabby!
To the Cats Fans- Good luck in Dallas. After dropping ten games during the season, your group of fabulous freshmen have really gotten their act together in the post-season. Your big win over the Cards was followed up by another solid performance against Michigan. The Final Four should be very entertaining. Good luck to Cat Nation.
To the folks that aren't basketball fans- Who cares about the madness? I hear you, too. If basketball is not your deal, there is still something to learn from March Madness.
To survive and advance in the tournament, teams have to work hard and play well together.
We've had our own "March Madness" this year with the extended schedule. As we finish the month today (we've survived and advanced), let's work hard and play well together. Bring your A game today. Help your teammates/classmates to do their best as well.
Congrats on finishing our own March Madness. Good luck in the next tournament. April Madness. Yes, we've got one more month of extended days. Survive and advance. Survive and advance.
And to the Lady Cards Fans- Good luck in the Elite Eight on Tuesday! Go Cards. Take down the Terrapins!
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Hacked
We had a problem on MBC last week. Somebody hacked an account and posted some unpleasant comments on a discussion board.
To the person that had the account hacked:
I'm really sorry that this happened. We know that you did not make those comments. Now that you have a new password, it is doubtful that this ever will happen again. While there is one person that acted cruelly, remember that a whole bunch of kids immediately helped you by flagging the comments.
To the people that flagged the offensive comments:
Nice! You did exactly the right thing. You saw something wrong, and you acted immediately. Your decision to flag the comments helped us to quickly remove them. I know some of you would have liked to join in on the commenting, but the flag action was the right move. I'm proud of all of you that did this!
To the hacker:
Immature. Disrespectful. Cruel. Stupid. There are so many ways to describe the action you took. I hope that this moment of character lapse is just that… a moment. A single mistake. I hope that this doesn't happen again. I hope that the words that describe this action don't turn into words that describe you.
To everybody else:
Hacking isn't funny. Hacking is a violation of the Responsible Use Agreement. Good digital citizens don't even attempt to enter the accounts of others. Thanks to the 605 of the 606 of you that are following the rules.
To the person that had the account hacked:
I'm really sorry that this happened. We know that you did not make those comments. Now that you have a new password, it is doubtful that this ever will happen again. While there is one person that acted cruelly, remember that a whole bunch of kids immediately helped you by flagging the comments.
To the people that flagged the offensive comments:
Nice! You did exactly the right thing. You saw something wrong, and you acted immediately. Your decision to flag the comments helped us to quickly remove them. I know some of you would have liked to join in on the commenting, but the flag action was the right move. I'm proud of all of you that did this!
To the hacker:
Immature. Disrespectful. Cruel. Stupid. There are so many ways to describe the action you took. I hope that this moment of character lapse is just that… a moment. A single mistake. I hope that this doesn't happen again. I hope that the words that describe this action don't turn into words that describe you.
To everybody else:
Hacking isn't funny. Hacking is a violation of the Responsible Use Agreement. Good digital citizens don't even attempt to enter the accounts of others. Thanks to the 605 of the 606 of you that are following the rules.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Handbook 2014
In the next few weeks, we'll be examining our school handbook and recommending changes for the 2014-2015 school year. During this review, we'll be seeking input from students, parents, and teachers. We'll start with some surveys!
SMS students will be asked to take a survey during Connect next Monday. We will be asking questions about our schedule, our technology program and rules, the our dress code, and our discipline program.
If you have time this week, open up your current SMS Handbook and review our current rules. You have access to the handbook on our school web site and also as an iBook on your iPad. If you could change some things to make our school better, what would you suggest?
Get ready for the survey next week!
Get ready for Spring Break in two weeks!
And, oh yeah, good luck with ISTEP+ this week!
SMS students will be asked to take a survey during Connect next Monday. We will be asking questions about our schedule, our technology program and rules, the our dress code, and our discipline program.
If you have time this week, open up your current SMS Handbook and review our current rules. You have access to the handbook on our school web site and also as an iBook on your iPad. If you could change some things to make our school better, what would you suggest?
Get ready for the survey next week!
Get ready for Spring Break in two weeks!
And, oh yeah, good luck with ISTEP+ this week!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
March Madness
March Madness is upon us, SMS! And I'm not just talking about a basketball tournament!
A quick glance at the March calendar shows quite a bit of madness. We've got lots of activities, sixteen extended hour school days, one dance, one massive test, and a week of spring break! Add on top of that the start of the basketball tournament that for which March Madness was named and we've got quite a bit going on this month!
First things first. Let's talk ISTEP+. The first half of our state test is coming up soon. We're planning on taking the Applied Skills test on Wednesday and Thursday, March 12th and 13th. Everybody will get a booklet and a pencil… it's old school. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders will start with a math exam that will include a few multi-step math problems. Test evaluators will look at the answer and the process. It is important to remember that the answer alone will not earn full points. Students get points for the answer and points for the steps. Show your work. Show your work. Show your work!
Right after the math exam, students will take an English/Language Arts exam. Typically, students are given a short story or article to read and then are asked to write something in relation to the article. Although the topics vary, the expectations remain the same. Read carefully, do a quick 'pre-write' to make notes about how you will answer, and then write a response that answers the questions. In this test, the evaluators will only grade your actual answers on the lined portions of the book. Your pre-write isn't graded, so don't get too wrapped up in that! Do take time to edit your work for capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and word use. And of course, write neatly so that test evaluators can read your work!
On the second day of testing, we will start with another 55 minute E/LA exam. Sixth and seventh graders get one more brain-drain with science and social studies tests respectively. These tests are typically short answer. Read carefully and answer fully. No problem. Eighth graders do not have a third subject exam. Life is good in 8th grade!
Thanks to each of you (in advance) for giving your best effort on each exam. Your Applied Skills test will be combined with May's Multiple Choice test to get one score. Before we get your scores in June, have fun at the dance, learn all you can in our extended days, attend all of your club meetings, and pick the right teams to get to the final four!
I'll share my basketball picks after the brackets are announced.
I also look forward to bragging about your scores when they are announced.
Good luck, SMS!
A quick glance at the March calendar shows quite a bit of madness. We've got lots of activities, sixteen extended hour school days, one dance, one massive test, and a week of spring break! Add on top of that the start of the basketball tournament that for which March Madness was named and we've got quite a bit going on this month!
First things first. Let's talk ISTEP+. The first half of our state test is coming up soon. We're planning on taking the Applied Skills test on Wednesday and Thursday, March 12th and 13th. Everybody will get a booklet and a pencil… it's old school. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders will start with a math exam that will include a few multi-step math problems. Test evaluators will look at the answer and the process. It is important to remember that the answer alone will not earn full points. Students get points for the answer and points for the steps. Show your work. Show your work. Show your work!
Right after the math exam, students will take an English/Language Arts exam. Typically, students are given a short story or article to read and then are asked to write something in relation to the article. Although the topics vary, the expectations remain the same. Read carefully, do a quick 'pre-write' to make notes about how you will answer, and then write a response that answers the questions. In this test, the evaluators will only grade your actual answers on the lined portions of the book. Your pre-write isn't graded, so don't get too wrapped up in that! Do take time to edit your work for capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and word use. And of course, write neatly so that test evaluators can read your work!
On the second day of testing, we will start with another 55 minute E/LA exam. Sixth and seventh graders get one more brain-drain with science and social studies tests respectively. These tests are typically short answer. Read carefully and answer fully. No problem. Eighth graders do not have a third subject exam. Life is good in 8th grade!
Thanks to each of you (in advance) for giving your best effort on each exam. Your Applied Skills test will be combined with May's Multiple Choice test to get one score. Before we get your scores in June, have fun at the dance, learn all you can in our extended days, attend all of your club meetings, and pick the right teams to get to the final four!
I'll share my basketball picks after the brackets are announced.
I also look forward to bragging about your scores when they are announced.
Good luck, SMS!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Epic Fail
According to urbandictionary.com, epic fail is defined as "complete and total failure when success should have been reasonably easy to attain." In the last few years, the phrase epic fail has been tossed around quite a bit. Often times it is used in relation to something funny… like a person that is filmed having a ridiculous fall when walking down a street.
This blog post is NOT about the funny kinds of epic fail. This blog post is about the non-funny epic fail of flunking a class.
SMS is cracking down on failing grades this year. Teachers are keeping kids in during lunch to complete work. Mr. Smith is also working with students during the restricted lunch program. The entire effort is designed to eliminate epic fails (failing a class when success should have been easy to attain.)
Understanding failure is an important first step to preventing it. A fellow principal's blog (Mr. Enders/Highland Elementary/Camp Hill, PA) led me to the work of Art Markman. According to Art Markman, author of Smart Thinking, there are three main types for failure. Two of the types have value, one does not.
The first type is called The Calibration Fail. In these types of failures, there is a correlation between effort and accuracy. We think we performed correctly, but we actually failed due to a lack of accuracy. Examples of this type of failure include skipping parts to a multi-step essay answer or making careless computation errors in math. If we calibrated properly and took more time to read the problems and edit or check our work, we would not have failed.
The second type of failure is called The Edison Fail. In these failures, we take the necessary time and effort but we do the assignment wrong. Examples include writing a narrative instead of a persuasive essay or using the wrong formula to do math problems. When this happens, it is imperative that we take time to find out why the mistakes were made. Markman states, "In the work beyond school, the most successful people are not the ones who never fail, they are the ones that learn most effectively from their failures." Thomas Edison said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" when he invented the light bulb. This type of failure is OK as long as we take time to find out what went wrong.
The final type of failure is called The Bad Fail. This is the absolute worst type of failure. This is failure that results from us being negligent. This happens when we don't even try to do the work. This is when the teacher puts a zero in the grade book because we didn't turn anything in. We didn't open Study Island. We didn't write the blog. We didn't do the project. There is no value in this type of fail. We don't learn anything from the attempt because we didn't attempt.
The Bad Fail is an epic fail. It is ridiculous to take a zero. Success is attainable. Try to complete the work. Turn in what you have. Even if you have a few Calibration Fails or Edison Fails, you will pass. Even more importantly, you will learn!
So here is my challenge to you this week… let's eliminate The Bad Fail at SMS.
Teachers, demand that work is completed. Students, be sure you pay attention, ask questions, and make a solid attempt. And students, be ready for extreme restriction if you are not going to turn in your work. It is time to step up. I know you can do it. See me if you need help.
This blog post is NOT about the funny kinds of epic fail. This blog post is about the non-funny epic fail of flunking a class.
SMS is cracking down on failing grades this year. Teachers are keeping kids in during lunch to complete work. Mr. Smith is also working with students during the restricted lunch program. The entire effort is designed to eliminate epic fails (failing a class when success should have been easy to attain.)
Understanding failure is an important first step to preventing it. A fellow principal's blog (Mr. Enders/Highland Elementary/Camp Hill, PA) led me to the work of Art Markman. According to Art Markman, author of Smart Thinking, there are three main types for failure. Two of the types have value, one does not.
The first type is called The Calibration Fail. In these types of failures, there is a correlation between effort and accuracy. We think we performed correctly, but we actually failed due to a lack of accuracy. Examples of this type of failure include skipping parts to a multi-step essay answer or making careless computation errors in math. If we calibrated properly and took more time to read the problems and edit or check our work, we would not have failed.
The second type of failure is called The Edison Fail. In these failures, we take the necessary time and effort but we do the assignment wrong. Examples include writing a narrative instead of a persuasive essay or using the wrong formula to do math problems. When this happens, it is imperative that we take time to find out why the mistakes were made. Markman states, "In the work beyond school, the most successful people are not the ones who never fail, they are the ones that learn most effectively from their failures." Thomas Edison said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" when he invented the light bulb. This type of failure is OK as long as we take time to find out what went wrong.
The final type of failure is called The Bad Fail. This is the absolute worst type of failure. This is failure that results from us being negligent. This happens when we don't even try to do the work. This is when the teacher puts a zero in the grade book because we didn't turn anything in. We didn't open Study Island. We didn't write the blog. We didn't do the project. There is no value in this type of fail. We don't learn anything from the attempt because we didn't attempt.
The Bad Fail is an epic fail. It is ridiculous to take a zero. Success is attainable. Try to complete the work. Turn in what you have. Even if you have a few Calibration Fails or Edison Fails, you will pass. Even more importantly, you will learn!
So here is my challenge to you this week… let's eliminate The Bad Fail at SMS.
Teachers, demand that work is completed. Students, be sure you pay attention, ask questions, and make a solid attempt. And students, be ready for extreme restriction if you are not going to turn in your work. It is time to step up. I know you can do it. See me if you need help.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
We're Watching
I've almost always been pleased with the choices that our student body makes regarding behavior. Whether it be in the classroom, the halls, the restrooms, or other areas of the building, our student body does well with following rules and being respectful.
However, there are occasions where students lose their cools or make bad decisions. This year we've had some mistakes such as pushing, punching, stealing, and smoking. These behaviors are not frequent and they are investigated each time they occur.
When we investigate misbehavior, we interview those involved and we interview witnesses. And we look at the camera. Yes, we do use the surveillance camera to help us investigate misbehavior, especially when we have conflicting information.
Famous basketball coach John Wooden is credited with saying "The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching." Thanks to all of you that make good choices whether or not there are adults in the immediate area.
For those of you that make a mistake, the quickest path to demonstrating good character is to own the mistake. Admit what happened. Accept responsibility for the choice. Serve the consequence. The next step is to do all you can to not repeat the mistake. Learn from the incident and grow.
If you have been targeted by a student that has misbehaved or have observed the violation a school rule, please remember that you can report the incident. Report to any teacher, counselor, or administrator. Report in person or in an MBC message. Our goal is to provide a safe and secure learning environment for everyone. Your reporting helps us to do so.
If you are tempted to violate a rule or to mistreat a peer, please remember that we expect you to demonstrate good character regardless of the situation. We expect you to treat each other and the property of others with respect. We expect you to pass the test when your character is tested.
Make the right choices, SMS!
First, because making good choices is the right thing to do.
And second, because we're watching.
Have a great week.
Miss Nass
However, there are occasions where students lose their cools or make bad decisions. This year we've had some mistakes such as pushing, punching, stealing, and smoking. These behaviors are not frequent and they are investigated each time they occur.
When we investigate misbehavior, we interview those involved and we interview witnesses. And we look at the camera. Yes, we do use the surveillance camera to help us investigate misbehavior, especially when we have conflicting information.
Famous basketball coach John Wooden is credited with saying "The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching." Thanks to all of you that make good choices whether or not there are adults in the immediate area.
For those of you that make a mistake, the quickest path to demonstrating good character is to own the mistake. Admit what happened. Accept responsibility for the choice. Serve the consequence. The next step is to do all you can to not repeat the mistake. Learn from the incident and grow.
If you have been targeted by a student that has misbehaved or have observed the violation a school rule, please remember that you can report the incident. Report to any teacher, counselor, or administrator. Report in person or in an MBC message. Our goal is to provide a safe and secure learning environment for everyone. Your reporting helps us to do so.
If you are tempted to violate a rule or to mistreat a peer, please remember that we expect you to demonstrate good character regardless of the situation. We expect you to treat each other and the property of others with respect. We expect you to pass the test when your character is tested.
Make the right choices, SMS!
First, because making good choices is the right thing to do.
And second, because we're watching.
Have a great week.
Miss Nass
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Make Up Days
Well, well, well! We've got to figure out how to make up 14 school days! Yowser!
Two of our days are easy. We have planned make up days on Monday, February 17th and Friday, April 18th. The state has waived two more days based on the crazy cold temps in the original polar vortex. That gets us down to ten more to figure out.
The Indiana Department of Education has announced that they will allow schools to make up snow days in one of three ways.
1) Schools can add days to the end of the calendar year.
2) Schools can make up time by adding one hour to normal school days. Six additional hours are required to make up one secondary day. Five additional hours are required to make up one elementary day.
3) Schools can make up time by providing online instruction (such as on a Saturday). This option requires that all students in the district have access to the internet, rigorous activities, and 'reachable' teachers.
If we choose to use method number one only, we'll be going to school until June 13th. Ugh. The district will be talking about what our capabilities might be for option three.
Right now, let's get outside the box and have some conversation about option 2. Talk about the questions below in Connect. Your Connect teacher can then share them with your team leader… and team leaders will talk about this later this week.
Q1. If we have extended days, what do learners need?
Q2. If we have extended days, what kind of schedule would be best for learners? Would we extend all normal periods or would we have a 'period 7' at the end of each day to alternate between core activities?
Q3. If we have extended days, how will that impact our lives outside of the normal school day? What things will we need to adjust/consider.
Thanks for getting the discussion started on this very interesting topic! Once decisions are made, all make-up time will be announced so that everyone can begin planning.
Two of our days are easy. We have planned make up days on Monday, February 17th and Friday, April 18th. The state has waived two more days based on the crazy cold temps in the original polar vortex. That gets us down to ten more to figure out.
The Indiana Department of Education has announced that they will allow schools to make up snow days in one of three ways.
1) Schools can add days to the end of the calendar year.
2) Schools can make up time by adding one hour to normal school days. Six additional hours are required to make up one secondary day. Five additional hours are required to make up one elementary day.
3) Schools can make up time by providing online instruction (such as on a Saturday). This option requires that all students in the district have access to the internet, rigorous activities, and 'reachable' teachers.
If we choose to use method number one only, we'll be going to school until June 13th. Ugh. The district will be talking about what our capabilities might be for option three.
Right now, let's get outside the box and have some conversation about option 2. Talk about the questions below in Connect. Your Connect teacher can then share them with your team leader… and team leaders will talk about this later this week.
Q1. If we have extended days, what do learners need?
Q2. If we have extended days, what kind of schedule would be best for learners? Would we extend all normal periods or would we have a 'period 7' at the end of each day to alternate between core activities?
Q3. If we have extended days, how will that impact our lives outside of the normal school day? What things will we need to adjust/consider.
Thanks for getting the discussion started on this very interesting topic! Once decisions are made, all make-up time will be announced so that everyone can begin planning.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Your Toolbox
Let's say you are in your junior year and you are in a construction trades class at Prosser. This is a great class, designed to help you in the future. The teacher assigns you a task. You have to build a treehouse. The teacher teaches you about the coolest tool… a hammer. You hammer and hammer and finish your treehouse. Good job.
Your next assignment is to install a sink. That is a great project! You pull out your hammer. Somehow you install the sink but it was harder than it had to be and the end product wasn't very pretty. The hammer made dents all over the basin. But you got it done. Good job.
Your next assignment is to wire a room. Bringing electricity to room outlets is a great project. You pull out your hammer. Now it gets ugly. Your hammer won't bend the wires and you keep breaking the plastic outlet covers. You also get a little shock as you swing the hammer into a live wire. You don't finish the project. Bad job.
What are the similarities and differences with these projects? They are all construction projects. They all require tools. And you used a hammer every time. The hammer worked for some but not for all. It would have been nice to be able to use a wrench or a screwdriver. And a little more choice would have prevented the projects from being so boring.
Construction tools are like technology tools. One tool can get a lot of jobs done but one tool isn't the best thing to use every time. Using one tool every time is boring.
What are you doing to learn new tools? Have you experimented with VOKI? Youblisher? Big Huge Labs? Your teachers are going to work on some new tools later this week in their professional development sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.
When your teacher finishes his/her half day of training, ask "what did you learn today?" or "what's new in your toolbox?" Follow that up with "when can we use it in class?" It is hard work learning new tools, but it is so worth it. Let's support each other as we all work to learn some new tools.
Your next assignment is to install a sink. That is a great project! You pull out your hammer. Somehow you install the sink but it was harder than it had to be and the end product wasn't very pretty. The hammer made dents all over the basin. But you got it done. Good job.
Your next assignment is to wire a room. Bringing electricity to room outlets is a great project. You pull out your hammer. Now it gets ugly. Your hammer won't bend the wires and you keep breaking the plastic outlet covers. You also get a little shock as you swing the hammer into a live wire. You don't finish the project. Bad job.
What are the similarities and differences with these projects? They are all construction projects. They all require tools. And you used a hammer every time. The hammer worked for some but not for all. It would have been nice to be able to use a wrench or a screwdriver. And a little more choice would have prevented the projects from being so boring.
Construction tools are like technology tools. One tool can get a lot of jobs done but one tool isn't the best thing to use every time. Using one tool every time is boring.
What are you doing to learn new tools? Have you experimented with VOKI? Youblisher? Big Huge Labs? Your teachers are going to work on some new tools later this week in their professional development sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.
When your teacher finishes his/her half day of training, ask "what did you learn today?" or "what's new in your toolbox?" Follow that up with "when can we use it in class?" It is hard work learning new tools, but it is so worth it. Let's support each other as we all work to learn some new tools.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
The Grid
When I was a kid, I didn't really think of teachers as "real people." In elementary school, I assumed (like my classmates) that teachers lived at school, graded assignments all night, and never, ever went to the grocery store.
When I got into middle school, I realized how wrong I was. I found out that teachers went home and graded papers all night. Finally by high school I realized that teachers were real honest to goodness people that shopped for food, listened to music, and did chores.
As a principal, I realize how lucky I am to work with SMS teachers and other staff members. The adults in our building grade papers but they also shop. They sing and play. They also laugh and dream. And they experience great joy and handle great disappointment. They are real people. Interesting people.
If you've seen this week's issue of the Scoop, you likely noticed a new feature on the back page called The Grid. Each week, we will feature a group of SMS staff members and let you know a little bit about each of them. Follow The Grid and get to know our talented staff. Compare their answers to what you would put in The Grid!
When I got into middle school, I realized how wrong I was. I found out that teachers went home and graded papers all night. Finally by high school I realized that teachers were real honest to goodness people that shopped for food, listened to music, and did chores.
As a principal, I realize how lucky I am to work with SMS teachers and other staff members. The adults in our building grade papers but they also shop. They sing and play. They also laugh and dream. And they experience great joy and handle great disappointment. They are real people. Interesting people.
If you've seen this week's issue of the Scoop, you likely noticed a new feature on the back page called The Grid. Each week, we will feature a group of SMS staff members and let you know a little bit about each of them. Follow The Grid and get to know our talented staff. Compare their answers to what you would put in The Grid!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Should I tell?
When something bad happens, there can be that moment. That pause.
Should I tell?
This feeling of uncertainty is not unusual. This is something that is felt by children and by adults. Almost everybody worries about this.
Should I tell?
There are two main reasons why some people are reluctant to report bullying or bad behavior.
First, people worry that bad things will happen if they report bullying or other bad behavior. They worry that somebody will find out that they reported, resulting in negative things happening to them. If I report this, things will be worse. In reality, if someone retaliates (gets back at you) for reporting, that should be reported, too. Retaliation is unacceptable and is actionable (can result in discipline). If you report something and somebody (or their friends) retaliates, be sure you report that, too. I understand this worry about reporting. My advice is to be brave. Report.
The second reason that some people are reluctant to report is "nobody will do anything." I hear this sometimes and it makes me sad. Over break I watched the very difficult movie "Bully." Many of the kids featured would say "why report because nobody will do anything about it." It was gut wrenching to hear this. And I know some of you feel this way, too.
Here is the deal with "nobody will do anything."
When adults problem solve, they choose strategies. Typically, there are several potential strategies to resolve every problem. Sometimes, however, the first strategy doesn't work. Does this sound familiar? Does this sound like Student Success Skills class from 6th grade? Well, it should. If your strategy isn't working, try a new strategy.
If an adult hears about a problem, 99.99% of the time, they will try a strategy. That strategy may be to talk to the person. Most of the time a talk is designed to teach. Our first instinct is always to teach. Oftentimes with that talk we also arrange extra surveillance in the problem area or we assign discipline. The tricky part with these strategies is that the reporting student doesn't know about them. When you report and walk away, you may never see what happens. And when you don't see it, you assume "nobody did anything."
Let's recap. Bad thing. Report. Talk/teach. Done, right?
Well, sometimes not. Sometimes the strategy doesn't work. The bad thing happens again.
If you report and then the bad thing is repeated, you may think "well, they didn't do anything and that is why it is happening again." Most of the time, that logic is wrong. If the bad thing happens again, it is likely that the strategy failed.
When I work on things in the office, I send kids back out into the halls thinking "Wow, I'm good. I fixed it!" When it happens again a student is thinking "Wow. Why didn't Miss Nass do something to help me?"
If you are ever in the situation where you report something to an adult and then the same thing happens again, REPORT AGAIN. This will let the adult know to try a new strategy. If one strategy doesn't work, we will try another.
Let's recap. Bad thing. Report. Talk/teach. Bad thing. Next strategy. Done? Hopefully!
Sometimes kids need several strategies. Fact. Sometimes adults need to be told several times. Fact.
So the next time something bad happens and you pause and think "Should I tell?" I hope you choose YES! I hope you are brave and let the words fall out. Talk to adults. We've got strategies. Lots of them!
Should I tell?
This feeling of uncertainty is not unusual. This is something that is felt by children and by adults. Almost everybody worries about this.
Should I tell?
There are two main reasons why some people are reluctant to report bullying or bad behavior.
First, people worry that bad things will happen if they report bullying or other bad behavior. They worry that somebody will find out that they reported, resulting in negative things happening to them. If I report this, things will be worse. In reality, if someone retaliates (gets back at you) for reporting, that should be reported, too. Retaliation is unacceptable and is actionable (can result in discipline). If you report something and somebody (or their friends) retaliates, be sure you report that, too. I understand this worry about reporting. My advice is to be brave. Report.
The second reason that some people are reluctant to report is "nobody will do anything." I hear this sometimes and it makes me sad. Over break I watched the very difficult movie "Bully." Many of the kids featured would say "why report because nobody will do anything about it." It was gut wrenching to hear this. And I know some of you feel this way, too.
Here is the deal with "nobody will do anything."
When adults problem solve, they choose strategies. Typically, there are several potential strategies to resolve every problem. Sometimes, however, the first strategy doesn't work. Does this sound familiar? Does this sound like Student Success Skills class from 6th grade? Well, it should. If your strategy isn't working, try a new strategy.
If an adult hears about a problem, 99.99% of the time, they will try a strategy. That strategy may be to talk to the person. Most of the time a talk is designed to teach. Our first instinct is always to teach. Oftentimes with that talk we also arrange extra surveillance in the problem area or we assign discipline. The tricky part with these strategies is that the reporting student doesn't know about them. When you report and walk away, you may never see what happens. And when you don't see it, you assume "nobody did anything."
Let's recap. Bad thing. Report. Talk/teach. Done, right?
Well, sometimes not. Sometimes the strategy doesn't work. The bad thing happens again.
If you report and then the bad thing is repeated, you may think "well, they didn't do anything and that is why it is happening again." Most of the time, that logic is wrong. If the bad thing happens again, it is likely that the strategy failed.
When I work on things in the office, I send kids back out into the halls thinking "Wow, I'm good. I fixed it!" When it happens again a student is thinking "Wow. Why didn't Miss Nass do something to help me?"
If you are ever in the situation where you report something to an adult and then the same thing happens again, REPORT AGAIN. This will let the adult know to try a new strategy. If one strategy doesn't work, we will try another.
Let's recap. Bad thing. Report. Talk/teach. Bad thing. Next strategy. Done? Hopefully!
Sometimes kids need several strategies. Fact. Sometimes adults need to be told several times. Fact.
So the next time something bad happens and you pause and think "Should I tell?" I hope you choose YES! I hope you are brave and let the words fall out. Talk to adults. We've got strategies. Lots of them!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
What is your mindset?
Happy New Year!
This phrase brings many things to mind. The ball drop in Times Square, gatherings with family and friends, and the often dreaded New Years' Resolutions! Right now many people are trying to develop new habits: eat better, exercise more, read more, donate more, reduce unhealthy habits, play less Candy Crush, and hopefully LEARN MORE! How successful a person is with new habits is impacted by several things... one of which is the mindset of the person.
Mindset is a concept that has been developed by several researchers including Carol Dweck from Stanford University. According to Dweck, the way you view your own abilities has a tremendous impact on your success. She says there are two mindsets - fixed mindset and growth mindset.
Fixed mindset is the belief that you are what you are. There is no real change possible. Your brains and your abilities were established at birth by genetics and/or fate. You are either smart or somewhat smart or not smart. You can either dribble the ball well or you can't dribble the ball well. You can either draw like Picasso or you can't draw like Picasso.
Growth mindset is the belief that you can develop yourself. This mindset says that you can improve at things with work and that your potential is unlimited. People with growth mindsets think they can get better at things with practice. I can't draw like Picasso yet, but I can get better every time I work at it.
Individuals with fixed mindsets can be very limited by their belief system. Kids that think they are fixed "smart" are often afraid to try new things (I might fail. I might look dumb. I might disappoint somebody. I won't turn it in because it isn't perfect.) Kids that think they are fixed "not smart" are also less likely to try new things. (It doesn't matter. I won't be able to get it. I'm an idiot. Why bother?)
Individuals with growth mindsets are not limited. When faced with new challenges, they don't opt out. They take on risks. They understand the power of practice and perseverance. (I don't know it yet, but I will. I failed this time but I'll get it next time. It's ok to take a chance and answer the teacher's question because if I'm wrong, at least I'll find out the right answer.)
What is your mindset?
When your work is criticized, how do you respond?
When something gets difficult, what do you do?
When others do better than you are you inspired or do you feel threatened?
Are you frozen in a fixed mindset?
Are you open to growth?
My resolution for this year is to encourage you all to be open to GROWTH.
You can find out more about the power of mindset at the link and graphic below.
Happy New Year!
Miss Nass
Mindset
http://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/index.html
Mindset graphic from Dweck's work:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)